Animal Crossing: The Makings of a Happy Home
by Nerina The Humii
Summary: Meet Celestia. A strange girl with an even stranger family, who has a dream to become a musician someday. But in order to start preparing for the future, she has to form friendships and earn money. Will she become the best Happy Home Designer employee? Visit the Makings of a Happy Home discussion forum on this book!
1. There’s my family, and then me

It was another ordinary day in my unusual life. What makes my life so unusual? Well, let's begin with the one important fact about my family: my Mom's a human, my Dad's a wolf.

So what does that make me?

Well, from what I see every time I stare into my reflection is that I've certainly inherited my Mom's pink hair and her eyes. Can't say that I've inherited much from my Dad, apart from my partial wolf abilities.

I discovered those at the age of seven. I was practicing on my folk guitar and got impatient that I couldn't get a certain cord right. My rage began building up and then shortly afterwards released.

A very loud PRANG! Echoed in my room.

All the strings on my guitar snapped.

I looked down at my hands. All I could see that stood out from my ordinary hands were these long talon-like claws extruding upwards from my fingers. Not a trace of normal fingernail to be seen on any of my fingers.

"What? What's going on? What's happening to me?" I wondered aloud in a panicked tone.

My head darted backwards and forwards from my hands to my broken guitar. My mind was trying to process what happened but came up with nothing.

Does this mean I can't play my guitar anymore?

Tears began welling up in my eyes. I dashed out of my room and ran downstairs, crying and clutching my guitar that was bigger than me back then.

After all the crying followed by hugs from my parents, they both explained to me that I am not an ordinary human like Mom, I'm a hybrid of wolf and human, and sometimes, my wolf powers can activate.

"So does this mean I can't play anymore?" I asked with my bottom lip trembling.

"Of course you can still play, sweetie. You just need to be more careful." Mom replied in a soothing tone.

"Yeah, the strings can be replaced no problem." Dad added whilst inspecting my guitar.

"It looks like you just have to watch your emotions a bit 'cause it looks like that's what's triggering your wolf powers."

"Now Wolfgang, how could you possibly know that?" Asked Mom as she wrapped her arms around me.

Dad glanced over at Mom with a peculiar twinkle in his eyes and a slight smile on his muzzle.

"When I protected you from your violent sister." He replied smoothly.

Mom gasped and covered my ears. I couldn't hear the rest of what she had to say but judging from her facial expression, she didn't seem happy about Dad's response.

But years later down the road, my wolf powers developed. Along with my claws, my wolf ears and tail would occasionally appear. My ears would droop whenever I'm sad (so I've been told). My fangs would appear whenever I'm mad along with the change of my eye colour from a soft brown to a harsh amber and slitted pupils. My half wolf appearance can also show through if I'm stressed, frightened and sometimes when I'm desperately hungry.

The only emotion that doesn't trigger anything is when I'm happy.

But lately, I'm finding that trying hard to be happy all the time is actually harder that back when I was younger.

I'm now 13 years old. My birthday passed a couple of weeks ago. Who knew that once you start your teenage years, your family starts to almost drift apart?

It first started with my sister, Freya, a a pink wolf who was once a kind and caring big sister, but now a wolf who shuts herself away from everyone, wears heavy makeup, sneaks out to late night parties and has a secret boyfriend each week. You could tell Freya was around by hearing Dad arguing with her.

After the most recent argument, I was told that Freya packed her bags and moved out to live with her recent boyfriend, whoever that was, and that she wasn't coming back anytime sooner. Between Dad's anger and Mom's crying, I didn't know how to feel about it all.

Then a few weeks later, I was bombarded with a sudden surprise of 5 young adopted wolf pup brothers. Again, I had no idea on how to react to this. Did Mom and Dad do this to replace Freya? Did they want a baby but chose to adopt 4 wolf pups instead? Did they do this so I wouldn't be lonely now that Freya's gone?

I had no idea. But there was something that I understood very quickly...

Like all young brothers, they're all a bunch of menaces.

They destroy the furniture, any valuables you leave behind, your interaction time with your parents, the list gets bigger day by day.

And then little did I know it, but gradually, I began to act like Freya in only one sense:

I began to hide away in my room.

And all I would do there was just play my guitar...


	2. The Journalist’s Office

Dinner's ready!" Mom called out.

I peeped through my slightly ajar bedroom door.

Good. No signs of them yet.

But just as soon as I stepped on the first floorboard. They came out of nowhere!

My five destructive brothers...

In front of my very eyes was a stampede. A very small and slightly vicious stampede. And very much like a tornado, they pulled me into their chaotic formation until I was literally riding on top of them all the way through the hallway and down the stairs. I closed my eyes and braced myself. It never ends well...

Thud!

And straight after that, a shooting pain from my backside travelling up to my back.

"Owww!" I winced as I rubbed my sore back.

Well, at least the wild pack are gone for now...

I scrambled to my feet and staggered my way over to the kitchen, my face still wincing as I could feel the back of my body throbbing in pain.

Eventually, I finally sat down and had my dinner.

If I could sum up what having dinner with my family is like in one word, I'd say, chaos. You have my brothers either fighting over food or starting a food fight, my Mom trying to stop them, me sitting there picking my food feeling fed up of the screaming and shouting and my Dad reading his companies newspaper, The Crossing Times, doing everything he can to mind his own business and not get involved.

Once everyone was finished eating, Mom finally announced that we were all dismissed.

But just as I was about to slink away...

"Celestia?"

I stopped on my tracks and turned my head to face Dad.

"Can we talk?" He asked.

I slumped back on my chair.

"Honey, we're really worried about you... Are you okay?" Asked Mom.

"Shouldn't you be worrying about your adopted sons?" I mumbled.

Before Mom could say anything, there was a loud crash coming from the living room. She rolled her eyes, got up from her chair and ran out of the kitchen.

Great! Now I can leave!

But just as I was about to get up,

"Sit down." Dad commanded.

Dammit!

"Seriously though, what's there to talk about?" I asked exasperated.

Dad narrowed his eyes.

"Follow me."

He got up and headed off. I sighed as I followed in pursuit.

We stopped outside his office. The only ones allowed in are obviously my Dad and sometimes my Mom. That's it. No one else.

Dad opened the door and beckoned me in.

This office is where Dad goes to work on his extra things that he brings home from work. Those who don't know, my father is a journalist and works for The Crossing Times. He interviews many people and writes the articles on a daily basis.

The lighting was dim and it smelt... musky... You'd think Mom would spray one of the air fresheners in here, as she comes in to deliver coffee to my Dad while he's working.

There were stacks of paper on the tables, especially on his main desk made from solid oak. Behind his desk was a large floor to ceiling bookshelf full of books that have lost their vibrant colours over the years. Next to that is his shelf that has plaques and trophies that have been awarded to him in the past for his hard work within his profession. He had an end table that had an jet black telephone, where he has conversations with his colleagues. Nine times out of ten, you can hear him yelling down that phone to his publisher who seems to very rarely publish my Dad's articles correctly word for word.

We then move on to his phonograph which is caked in a thick heavy layer of dust. Next to it are vinyl records of classical music. Beside Dad's desk is a trash basket full of discarded screwed up papers, perhaps old drafts of articles that weren't perfect enough to make it in the papers.

As my eyes kept shifting around the room, I started to realise that this the only room that still remains grand and lavish. Because my father is the top journalist, he is a high income of 100,000 bells per year, meaning he could upgrade from an old cramped up cottage to a huge lavish mansion, which is what he did. It was glorious back when it was just me and Freya. But, well... thanks to my brothers it's fair to say that the property values are decreasing day by day...

Dad pulled up the pink velvet stool and moved it opposite to his desk and finally sat on his genuine leather office chair.

"Wow, you're actually allowing me into your office? You clearly weren't kidding about wanting to talk to me. You never allow anyone in here apart from Mom." I said as I sat on the stool.

"And I'm still not kidding." He replied.

"Sweetheart, I know things are a little different but I don't think staying in your room all day is beneficial for your mental health." Dad explained.

"I know but there isn't anywhere safe in the house with my destructive brothers around..." I admitted.

"Yeah, I know. Which is why I've decided that I'm taking a day off tomorrow to spend some time with you."

My eyes widened with surprise.

"Really?"

Dad's face softened and smiled warmly.

"Yeah, just you and me for old times sakes. I was even thinking of going to town like how we used to." He added.

"Wow, last time we did that, I was like 10!" I exclaimed.

"Waddya say then, kiddo?"

I grinned with excitement.

"I'm in!"

"Great then. Get some rest so you can get up early. We're leaving at 10 tomorrow." He stated.

I nodded and got up. Just I was about to head out, I turned around.

"Dad?"

"Yeah?" He answered scrambling around for some papers on his desk.

I ran forward and wrapped my arms around him.

"Thank you."

He wrapped his fluffy dark navy blue arms back around me and pulled me in for a hug.

"You've always been my favourite. The worst thing for me is seeing you unhappy. I will always drop what I'm doing and do whatever it takes to make you happy again. And I don't care how weird you think you are. Just know that I love you and wouldn't change you for the world." He said softly whilst cuddling me.


End file.
